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13-Mar-11:
Baun annoyed at no-shows
Richard Eaton reports
 Tine
Baun, the Dane who has denied Chinese players the All-England Open
title twice in three years, has called for action against the no-shows
of three Chinese players this year.
Baun has called it "unfair" that Wang Yihuan, the former
All-England champion she faced in the last two finals, has not turned up
this week at Britain's national indoor arena.
Although Baun was unable to defend the title because of a heel injury,
she obeyed new Premier Series rules which say she must still appear at
the venue. Wang, who withdrew with an ankle injury, did not, and Baun
voiced her annoyance.
"I showed up and then I hear the Wang Yihuan doesn't show up - how
come?" Baun says on a Badzine website video.
"How come I have to show up? I think that the rule is okay if it's going
all the way, but everyone has to come. You can't just have your doctor
write that it's not possible that you can fly.
"But every doctor can do that and of course doctors in China can do that
as well. So I think it's a little unfair."
Baun added: "I think it is unfair that I have to be here and Pi
Hongyan has to be here - but Wang Yihuan doesn't have to be here"
This was a reference to Pi Hingyang, the China-born former world number
two from France, who withdrew with a knee injury but travelled to
Birmingham to make the mandatory appearance.
Baun claimed that if this happened again the rule wouldn't matter any
more, but Thomas Lund, the Badminton World Federation's chief
operating officer, was insistent that it did.
"If players don't show up they will be fined $5,000, unless they can
show they were not able to travel," he said. "And that will be
consistent.
"We will have doctors at our end to assist with the rules. It's not
something we have a lot of experience with, because this is a new rule.
"But Saina Nehwal (the Commonwealth champion from India) was
fined $4,000 in the finals in Taipei for not showing up � so it is
something we do.
"I don't know the circumstances of this specific case, but yes, if not
otherwise proven, she (Wang) will be fined."
But Baun is also upset that two Chinese players withdrew from second
round matches this week against fellow members of the Chinese national
squad.
Liu Xin withdrew after getting through to meet the top-seeded
Wang Shixian, and then Li Xuerui similarly withdrew after earning
a meeting with her third-seeded compatriot Wang Xin.
Both players claimed they were injured and the tournament doctor
Ashwen Patel confirmed that Liu had a fungal toe infection and Li a
bad back.
"It's not that common that Chinese pull out of a tournament but they
often pull out against each other," Baun alleged. "I think it gives
players of one country an advantage later on in the tournament and I
think it's unfair.
"Of course you can be injured but it's the same thing all over again �
it never (happens) against other players from other countries. So yes
something has to be done about it.
"It's really unfair," Baun alleged again. "Many people are saying 'what
- are they pulling out because they are playing each other?' It's
obvious. It's only against each other and never against other players."
Once more Lund was concerned to emphasise that the BWF rules would be
applied if necessary.
"Again, I don't know the specific circumstances and I can only talk
about it as a general issue," he said. "The referee will take
information from players who pulled out, and if there is anything where
there is an issue our disciplinary committee will deal with it.
"If it's not a fair withdrawal it's something we will look into. We will
be setting some standards as to what it means to be injured or not
injured."
Baun, who had been expecting till a late stage to compete this week,
will also miss next week's Swiss Open in Basle.
She had hoped to try to win the All-England women's singles for a third
time in four years, but a scan showed that her injury could soon affect
the heel bone, causing the risk of a fracture.
That could have put her out for many months, and Baun preferred instead
to make the world championships at Wembley in August as her most
important goal this year.
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